Is Diet Culture Coming Back? Why “Thin Is In” Feels Louder Than Ever
If your body image has felt worse lately, you’re not imagining it.
There’s been a clear shift in the cultural conversation around bodies. The “thin is in” mentality has returned, louder and more socially accepted, appearing in subtle and overt ways across social media, celebrity culture, and wellness communities.
But I want to remind you about an important truth: This mentality never truly disappeared.
For a few years, body positivity and body neutrality gained more visibility. There was a sense, perhaps even hope, that meaningful change in the way we perceive and discuss bodies was underway. While that visibility was important, it didn’t dismantle the deeper systems that have long associated thinness with worth, health, and success.
What we’re seeing now isn’t a new issue. It’s a resurfacing, and in some ways, a rebranding of something that’s always existed, and this is feeling unsettling for so many of us. One moment, you’re curating your feed to be more inclusive and grounded…and the next, you find yourself seeing that bodies have changed drastically, and you are wondering if you should start worrying about your body in that old way again.
How To Protect Your Body Image When The Noise Gets Louder
Not in a “fix your mindset” way or basically gaslighting yourself into thinking what is happening isn't actually happening, but in a real, practical, protective way. Here are a few places to start:
1. Tighten your inputs (gently, not obsessively)
You don’t need to disappear from the internet. But you can get more intentional.
Pay attention to:
What accounts make you feel activated, cause you to start googling random “wellness” hacks, or have you questioning your own appearance
Content that frames thinness as discipline, success, or “finally feeling good” - this should be blocked
You don’t need a dramatic deletion of everyone on social media—just small, edits to your media environment.
2. Name what’s happening
There is power in being able to say: “This is the thin ideal showing up again.” Instead of: “What’s wrong with me?”
That simple shift moves you out of self-blame and into awareness.
3. Come back to function over appearance
When body image noise gets loud, grounding in function can help regulate the spiral.
Questions like:
Did I eat enough today to feel steady?
Do I have energy for my life?
Am I supporting my body, or trying to control it?
4. Expect your body image to fluctuate
Even if you’ve done a lot of work on your relationship with your body, you are not “back at square one” because this feels harder right now. You are a person living in a culture that is constantly sending messages about how our bodies should look. Of course, it impacts you.
5. Build in more real-life feedback loops
The online world is loud. Your actual life is often quieter and more grounded.
Things like:
Eating meals with other people who feel comfortable and safe
Moving your body in ways that feel supportive, not punishing
Having conversations that have nothing to do with bodies and shifting the conversation if it starts to head in that territory
A final thought
It might feel like we’re “going backwards.” But awareness is different now. More people can name what’s happening. More people are questioning it and more people are opting out in small, meaningful ways. I have conversations every day with people who hate what is happening and want to live a life not bombarded by diet talk, weight talk, Ozempic talk - I promise you are not alone in opting out of participating.